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cold, and ice, and wind, oh my...

i will spend the next 3 months wearing long underwear, and trying to make my 2 year old winter coat fit all the way around my broadening mid section.

i will drive no more than 20 miles an hour in snow, ice, fog, and freezing rain.

and i will pray for the sweet relief of summer days.

and in 6 months when it is 90 degrees with 92% humidity, i will whine a little, but i am will be so grateful it is not another winter in omaha.

my first winter in omaha was 2002, i thought i was going to freeze to death. i came to college with my pea coat and my cute hat and scarf, and i thought i was ready to brave the winter. it kept me warm and toasty in the suburbs of denver. certainly it would keep me warm and toasty in omaha. i know, i know, people tell me all the time "you're form colorado, aren't you used to the cold and snow?" and the answer is no. no no no no no. it snows in denver, yes. and it melts by lunch. and the sun shines and warms your face the following day. it gets cold. but not the biting, windy cold of omaha. not even close. but i didn't know that when i moved here. i came blissfully ignorant to the terrible winters of omaha. i thought i was prepared.

boy, was i ever wrong. by the time november hit, i was calling my mom begging for money to buy a new coat. i felt like i was training to climb mt everest every time i walked across campus to dinner. i braved wind and cold and sleet and snow. i was amply trained to be a mail man that first winter here, weather don't scare me none anymore.

my best friend becky lived next door to me in the dorm. she was the first friend i made at college. nearly every night at dinner time she would walk over to my room, and laugh at me while she helped wrap me up in my new winter coat and thick fleece lined hat scarf and mittens. she grew up in omaha. she was tough. the cold didn't scare her. i think she must have thought i was an idiot. but she helped me anyway.

tiny eyes peeking over my scarf beneath my hood, walking was a near impossibility. she would grab my arm and carefully lead me, whining and crying and whimpering the whole way. i did not think i would survive my first winter in omaha. but partially thanks to becky, i did.

A View of a Snow Covered Bridge in the WoodsRichard Nowitz

as much as i hate the winters of omaha, there is still a little something about the first big snowfall of the year. i hate driving in it, shoveling is the pitts, and cold wet feet are straight from the devil. but the glow of the moon bouncing of the snow is enchanting. and there is that moment in the morning where no one has driven on, or stepped in, or touched the snow. when it is as smooth as glass. sparkly, glittering, fresh clean glass. smooth and flawless, like a dream.

and coming home from work, all i can think is how wonderful it will be to grab a warm bowl of homemade chili, and cuddle with my husband under a blanket, basking in the glow of christmas tree lights. and for just a moment, the cold and the wind and the ice covered streets disappear, it is just warmth and beauty and family and christmas cheer.

even if just for a moment, there is something about that first big snow of the year...

Comments

your Christmas tree is up! yeah! i remember my first winter here i called and asked my dad for $80 so i could get a coat that covered my ass. i wasn't prepared for this cold in the least. all we needed in seattle were track jackets and hoodies.